The latest extension to Microsoft's teaching language Small Basic is Version 2 of a set of Windows Forms controls that now includes a chart control.

This extension, which is 100% event driven includes the following controls:

Here's a screenshot of a program made with it:

The extension was created over "a couple of days" by a developer who is a model of what Microsoft set out to achieve with Small Basic, its simplified programming language and environment that provides an easy route into programming for kids and beginners.

According to his profile, Gungan 37 is a self-taught programmer and a high-school student who learned to program in Small Basic and now has added C#, VB, J#, Java, and x86 assembly plus a little C and C++ to his repertoire.

The unique features of Small Basic, which has been under development since October 2008 and reached Version 1.0 in July 2011. is that it has just 14 keywords. It is imperative and doesn't use or expose beginners to concepts like scopes, types, object orientation, and more. It doesn't have a type system and all variables are global and are always initialized. This means they can be used before they're assigned.

The Small Basic Extensions Gallery currently lists 16 "quality" extensions and its Program Gallery has approaching 40 interactive programs that are easy to use.

Small Basic has a thriving community, kids as well as adults, and it does appear to have put the element of fun into programming.

Computer Science Education Week starts today, December 5th. Between now and December 11th events to bring code into schools are planned across the world. There are now tens, if not hundreds of pre-pac [ ... ]